172: Hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Tongariro Northern Circuit with Ben Boland

Ben Boland is a born-and-bred Kiwi who didn’t grow up loving the outdoors - and once weighed close to 190kg. He shares how getting active in his 30s led him to walking tracks he never imagined tackling, starting with a humbling first Tongariro Alpine Crossing done mid–weight loss and with minimal planning. Since then he's done the Tongariro Crossing and Tongariro Northern Circuit several times. He breaks down the track in details from shuttles and direction choices to points of interest like the Devil's Staircase, Red Crater, the Emerald Lakes. Ben shares more details about the 3-day Tongariro Northern Circuit, a Great Walk that covers vastly unique terrain on each day of the hike. Ben shares advice from personal experience on when to turn back, winter conditions, gear choices, hiking poles, and carrying better food. Abigail & Isaac are kayaking for 1,000km from Cape Reinga to Tauranga in Feb-Mar 2026 to raise $20,000 for mental health and the ocean. Join the community to follow our journey closely, donate or paddle with us.👉 slowpaddle.nzThank you so much for tuning in and coming along for the ride. If you love the show and enjoyed listening, please take the time to leave a review on Apple or Spotify. I would also love to connect with you, so send me a DM on Instagram, leave me a voice message and I can’t wait to see you next time. Until then, keep adventuring :) Follow Ben on Instagram: instagram.com/ben.outthere/Read the Blog: www.abigailhannah.nzFollow Abigail on Instagram: instagram.com/abigailhannnah/Follow Abigail on TikTok: tiktok.com/@abigailhannnah/Get my NZ Map & Guide